Improved circuit-closer for electro-magnetic railroad signals



- A. W. PLATT. `CIRCTIT CLOSER FOR ELECTEOMAGNETI 'RAILROAD SIGNALS. No.100.442. Patented Mar. 1, 1870.

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` Letters Pata-ni No. 100, 142, ;latest March l, 1870.

IMPRQVED CIRCUIT-CIASER' 'OR ELECTRO-MAGNETC RAILROAD SIGNALS.

The Schedulereferred to in these Letters Patent and making pa't of thesame To all whom it mby' o cern Be .it known the!) I, A, Watxnnl'LA'r'r, ol' the city, ounty, ,and State'of NewYork, have invented a;new and useful Improvement in Circnit-Closers fo Electro-MagneticRnilway' Alarns and Signals and I do hereby declate thatthe following'isa full, clear, and' exact description of the same, reference being hadto the acconpanying drawing fo'rning part of this speciiication, andwhich rep'escnts a vertical sec.- tion ot' a cireuit-closer, constrnctedin accordance with ny'invention, and attached to a railroa'd track.

The object of my' invention is to operate 'or set in operationclectroqnaguetic railway alarns and signals from a proper distance oil?,by the action of the loconotve or train, especially for the purpose ot'.giving s'i-arms at crossings of the'approach ot' trains a sutlicicnttime in advance of their passing. To this end It; consists of'. acircuit-closer, conposed ot'a pin which works vcrtically through therail, and is projccted above the uppcr surface or trend thei-cof by a.spring, arrnnged in, a box below the rail, such box also containing theends ot'.\\'ircs which form an opcning in the circnit ot' theelcctro-ngnct,`ly whichthe alarm or signal is tobe operatedor set inoperation.

' The loconotive or train, or both, passing over the pin, deprcss it,and so cause it to close the circnit and produce the operation of thealarm or' signnl. 'l`o enable othcrs skilled in the art; to constrnct acircuit-closc' according to ny invention, I will proccod' to describethe same -with reference to the drawing.

A is a box of 'ny suitable size and t'orn, made to he perfectlywater-fight, and'- inbcddod in the gi'ound close to the under side of arnil.

B -is a pin of a proper size, which is provided with a collar, b, nearthe middle ol' the san'c.

This pin extends from the inside ot' the box through the cover a ot'thesainc, and passcs also through the' rail C.

A spiral spring, D,-ar-anged in the box' A around the lo'wcr part of thepin B, acts against) the collar b ol' the sanic, thereby projecting i';n dcsi'able distance above the trend of the rail C, the collar l comingin contact with the coveraof the box A, aot ing ne a .lil is a short,tubc, made of India rnbber, or other flox ible and.non-conductingmaterial.

This tuhl is arrangcd close to the bottom of the box ;A and within thesa-n c, and is connected nt one end with a metallie tube., F, of anylength, which is` connected with the outside ot' the box for the purposcof reeciving such portions otlfi e wics ot' the elcctro-nagnetio cirouitas Ina-y be .desh-ed to pass under gronnd. u

The wires c c' of the eleotro-nagnct are insnlatcd, and their cnds passthrough a piece, c, which'scrves to stiti'cn theni, and also forms theconnection bctwccn the tube E and F.

Elastio s't rip's (l (l' within the tube E arc- Secured to the cnds ol'wircs'c o'. These strips are provided :Lt their ends with platiinnpoints, and scrrc to close the ci'cnit if acted upon.

l`he operation is as follows:

The nlnrns or 'signals being connected with any; suitable ncchnnisnnareoperatori by an elcctro-nngut and battery, which arearranged'conreniently ncnr the'` while the wiy'es o o', which are tocstublish thc. circnit, are' passed to-the circnit-olosor, which isplaced far cnough away to tillow tincly warning.

As soon as the whcels ot' the loconotive pass ovor the rail U, the pinB, projectingabove the trend of' the rail by the action ot' the SpringD, will be forced down, whercby'its opposite end, pressing against the'lloxible tube E, which is directly undcr the snnc, :ind-

has the netallic strips (l d' contained within, brings the point-s of'the latte together, and thns closcsthc cirnit, :which enables theelectro-magnet to opczte on. the alnrns or signals.

What I claim as my im-'ontion, and dosirc to secure by Letters Patenta,is-

The pin l, vcrticnlly, or ncarly so, through the rail O, and projectedabove the trend thcrcot' by u, spring, D, within the box A, inconhination' with tho oircnitcloser d d', all arrnngcd snbstantially asshown and dc-' scribcd.

A. WAR-NJEH PLATT. witnesses:

-- HENRY T. BROWN,

Fmn. HAYNES.

